


Strawberry Swirl

by alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist



Series: The Ice Cream Flavours arc [2]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M, Preventers (Gundam Wing), Shounen-ai, by Bronze Tigress, much better than the lack of tags suggests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 13:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13614747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist/pseuds/alittlepieceofgundamwing_archivist
Summary: by Bronze Tigress--Duo blinks, then peers closely at his friend, who lifts an eyebrow in enquiry. "I'm trying to decide if my ears just took a holiday, or if the pod people have replaced you with a clone, Wufei. Did you just offer to take me back to your place tonight?"





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr. 9, AC197; approximately 1900hrs  
Sanq Palace environs  
[the day after Relena's interrupted 17th birthday party]_  
  
And that was it. All the hostages were safely freed, the terrorists had all been cuffed and lead away. The 'atomic' had been safely disarmed. Best of all, there were no injuries to speak of. Depositions had been taken from nearly all the witnesses already, and all of those not actually living in the palace (which still houses the residential pacifist school), were being sent home, if feasible, or offered temporary lodgings there until they could arrange transport.  
  
Wufei had taken Sally and Duo to the Preventers' Headquarters clinic to have their injuries checked, driving the official jeep back to its garage at the same time. Sally was cleared through with an ice pack for minor bruising and sent home. Duo has had his wrist X-rayed, diagnosed as slightly cracked, and strapped into a light, nearly invisible brace - with very firm instructions to leave the splint in place for at least a week lest something small shift, break loose, and cause havoc in his system. Wufei was given the bag with a pair of prescription bottles to carry. Then, since Une had requested it, he took himself and Duo back to the palace to speak with Une.  
  
Duo stayed as silent on the way back as he had been on the drive to HQ, once again mulling over the events of the past few hours. The long shuttle flight with Sally - during which he had managed to snatch perhaps an hour's uncomfortable sleep - and then the adrenaline rush of the mission itself, on top of nearly a full day's work and the spacewalk beforehand, were tiring. The reconnaissance with Trowa had gone smoothly, and the mission itself had gone very nearly as Quatre had planned it. Sneaking in disguised as one of the terrorists had been no problem at all, and of course, his shot at Sally had been perfect - right in the hollow where the "blood" was. But then that _bastard_ Epyon de Teros had taken the butt of his rifle to Duo's wrist to make him drop his gun. Their tall blond leader - who turned out to be Zechs Marquise of all people! - had sworn softly at that and taken his right arm himself. He'd been careful enough with it, under the circumstances, putting the ropes only around his upper arms and holding him by that bicep rather than tying his wrists and shoving him around by the elbow. Duo supposed he owed Zechs one now.  
  
And then the bomb. That had been a real treat to work on lefthanded(1), although it was just as well that he'd been the one to find it. None of the others had any training on the old precolony-style types. He had managed to get the cover plate unscrewed and had been looking at the wiring - or, _trying_ to look at it; the top wires kept slipping back into his line of sight -when Wufei had appeared. It had been out of the blue and at the last minute, as usual. Okay, maybe not really either, since Duo had at least known he was in the vicinity beforehand, and there had been a good hour left on the timer - but that was close enough, right? His arrival had been a godsend, though, and for once, Wufei had skipped the surly, sarcastic remarks and gone straight to the point. The conversation replays in his mind, complete with his own new mental commentary, as he stares out the window at the passing scenery.  
  
+  
  
_[an hour and a half earlier]_  
  
"Ah, Maxwell, I see you found it. How is the wrist?"  
  
"What?" //Oh, that sounded intelligent.//  
  
"Merquise said it had been hit; you said there were no hostage injuries. How bad is it?" //Well, that had explained it, at least.//  
  
"Not good; can't close the fingers or twist. Did you come to help or chat?" //Oh, that wasn't very nice...//  
  
"Tcheh. Bomb first, then I check that wrist. What do you need me to hold?" //Although he didn't sound too put out by it...//  
  
+  
  
And then, _finally_ , once Wufei was holding that damned top bunch of wires out of the way, Duo could see the set he needed to see. //Kinda weird to have him reaching around me like that. He smelled nice, though; sort of like incense and vanilla.// He isn't quite sure if the fact that he'd been holding the wire cutters between his knees at the time had been a good or bad thing, though. //I wonder if he brushed his hand against my thigh on purpose or not? Or if he even noticed?// A small grimace crosses his face. //Do I _want_ it to have been on purpose?// The jeep pulls to a stop as he is still pondering this. //I've sure been putting enough energy into keeping tabs on him... So what _do_ I want with him?//  
  
Duo gathers his thoughts back together, wondering once again just what it is that Une wants to speak to him about. He's pretty sure Wufei's going to hear something about bringing in the lot of them, seeing as the pilots aren't exactly regular Preventers forces... He opens the door, //thank goodness the passenger side is on the left in this part of the world// and hops out of the jeep, narrowly missing a puddle. Then the pair walk up the main stairs, and are soon directed to where Une was last sighted. Having found her in the middle of the last bits of the confusion, Wufei clears his throat as Duo taps on her shoulder for her attention.  
  
Une turns around, then, and smiles when she sees who is standing there. "Gentlemen, good to see you back; I would have waited to talk to the others but I didn't know how long you'd be," she begins, before making Duo the same offer she had already extended to Heero, Trowa, and Quatre - that of a permanent position with the Preventers, probably as part of a special unit, along with those of the other three who joined, Wufei, and Zechs. She notes, as a matter of information, that Trowa has already tentatively accepted her offer, and that the other two have asked for some time to think about it, as well as conclude their other business.  
  
Duo looks at Une as if she has gone mad for a moment, then blinks. Finally, wary of making any permanent decisions in his current lightly-drugged condition, and not quite sure he should be doing this anyway, he tells her that it has been a very, very long day for him already, and the pain medicine is not helping his sleepiness, and could he talk to her in the morning about it? She agrees, and suggests that he come by just before lunch. Wufei just looks at Duo, a peculiar expression in his eyes, but says nothing.  
  
At that moment, Heero and Quatre come up to speak to their friends, and to pass along Trowa's goodbyes - and what Duo suspects are Quatre's regrets that Trowa couldn't bid them farewell in person. Heero notes that he had been talking to Relena, saying that she had commented about the 'my woman' remark he had broadcast over Wing's speakers, that obviously hadn't meant her in the context, and that he would welcome any advice. Duo points out that that _was_ all Quatre's idea, but none of the four thinks that will help matters much. Heero mentions Relena's offer of a place to stay for the night, if he has not accepted Une's offer, almost in passing. Duo looks vaguely uncomfortable at that idea, however, and deftly turns the conversation back to Une's offer - asking the opinions of the other three about the seriousness of the offer and the advisability of taking it.  
  
Eventually, Heero and Quatre spot Relena and head over to speak with her, and Duo excuses himself, pleading weariness. Before he's quite sure what happened, Wufei is leading him gently but firmly by his good elbow towards one of the window seats, far enough away from the small crowd still milling about the room to be quiet. "Are you well, Maxwell?"  
  
"Ah, yeah, I'm fine, Wufei. Just tired and sore and hungry, and I've got just enough of those pain meds they shot me up with in me to make my brain fuzzy, and not enough to make my wrist stop throbbing, and damn if I didn't twist something in my back squirming through the perimeter. Nothing a quiet night's sleep wouldn't cure, although with the action we saw today I'm not likely to get that, either." //And I seem to have started telling all; it's a damned good thing nobody ever interrogated me with whatever I'm on right now.//  
  
"Maxwell... I do have my own quarters back at HQ - not very big and certainly not fancy - but you are welcome to stay with me tonight, as it is clear you do not wish to stay here."  
  
Duo blinks, then peers closely at his friend, who lifts an eyebrow in enquiry. "I'm trying to decide if my ears just took a holiday, or if the pod people have replaced you with a clone, Wufei. Did you just offer to take me back to your place tonight?"  
  
Wufei smiles just a little, then says, "your ears are working fine, Maxwell - and I have no idea what a pod person is. You would not speak about staying here - and I do not think you feel very comfortable with all the finery here, do you?" Duo shakes his head somewhat ruefully. "I thought as much. Come, you have not eaten; nor have I. Shall we go find some dinner, and you can decide what you want to do about sleeping after that?"  
  
Duo nods, and gets to his feet. "Sounds like a plan to me."  
  
Wufei rises as well, then waves towards the main doors. "I will meet you at the front steps in a moment; I should speak with Lady Une and Miss Relena before we disappear." He glides off in search of those two worthies, and is at the steps less than a minute after Duo arrives there himself. The two are making their way down the steps when a cheerful voice hails them.  
  
"Hey, Duo! Wufei! Are you leaving us already?"  
  
"Hai, Winner. Maxwell and I have some catching up to do; you two go on inside and visit with your princess. We will see you tomorrow, yes?"  
  
"Okay! See you later! Have a good evening!" And with one cheery wave and a quiet salute, Quatre and Heero turn inside to find their own dinners, just as Une begins shooing the last people who are not actually remaining at the palace that evening out the doors.  



	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr.9, AC197, approximately 2030hrs_  
_PHQ Residency Quarters, apt. #205_  
 _(Current home of Preventer Chang Wufei)_

Duo trails quietly after Wufei to his vehicle, having decided to keep his mouth closed until whatever that injection was wears off somewhat. He manages to avoid the puddle getting back into the jeep, and in a moment he and Wufei are on their way. They drive back to PHQ with only minimal conversation, stopping for takeout food - as Wufei puts it, "American Chinese; that should suit us both, no?" - on the way. Duo only nods, and leaves the ordering up to Wufei.  
  
It is only after Wufei has ushered his fellow ex-pilot into his small quarters in the single residency wing that the prevailing silence is broken. By Wufei, at that. "Do come in, Maxwell. I can take your coat?" Wufei has already slipped his shoes off and put the bag with their dinner down to take his own jacket off.  
  
Duo drops his duffle bag, then slips his jacket off and hands it to Wufei. He looks around the small living room area as he bends down to take his own short boots off. A counter divides off a small kitchen area, and two doors evidently lead to a bedroom and bath. A desk with a straight-backed chair, a low table, and a narrow, almost bench-like couch are arranged in the living room area, and a tall stool is tucked under the counter.  
  
The decor is rather spartan, but very orderly. The one sign that someone lives there at all is the bookshelf, which holds a rather broad assortment of books, and a number of empty spaces which give the impression that the owner intends to fill them in, soon, but hasn't found the right packing box yet. Wufei hangs both jackets on the same hook, picks up their dinner, and drops it off on the table on his way past. He heads directly to the kitchen to fetch plates and serving spoons. He calls over his shoulder, "would you like a drink? You should take some of that medicine soon, as well..."  
  
"Nice place, Wufei. Um, water? Please?"  
  
Wufei smiles and returns with two glasses of water balanced atop the plates, presenting one to his guest with all due ceremony, before distributing the plates and beginning to open cartons, mentally checking off the contents against their order.  
  
"Thanks. MMmmm. The water always tastes different, here, somehow. So, Wufei - obviously enough there's really only room for one of us to bunk in with you here - why me? Not that I'm unhappy to be rescued from having to stay at the palace, but..."  
  
Wufei arches one elegant eyebrow. "A man is not allowed to miss his friends now? I spent seven hours in a shuttle with Winner and Barton earlier, and Yui seems to feel that it is his duty to always be around in the shadows near Relena somewhere, so I see him fairly often. Not that we talk much - he doesn't tend to, as you recall. Call it curiosity regarding how things have been going for you lately, if you like." He picks up one of the spoons - all Western-style metal ones in mismatched patterns - and slides it over, handle first, beside Duo's plate before taking up another to begin serving out the rice and small portions of the other dishes. "Here, I thought with that wrist you might fare better with a spoon; my apologies, I have never needed to have forks before."  
  
Duo smiles his gratitude, relieved at not having to choose between handling his chopsticks with an aching wrist or his off-hand, and digs in to his dinner with awkward enthusiasm. In between mouthfuls, he begins detailing his life in the last few months, after first going back to fill in the gaps about the time in between the two wars, which he spent more or less visiting with and helping out Hilde - in between their various 'missions' to keep the world safe from terrorists and Gundams alike. //So much for keeping your mouth shut! Oh, well...// When the peace was declared again just before the New Year, he had gone to help her with her business again, on a more full-time basis. Working in the scrapyard, however, really just isn't the same as piloting, and... he misses that.  
  
"So I've been spending more and more time _out_ , spacewalking outside the colony, mostly just - it sounds bad, I know, but just to get away from her. Oh, she's nice enough, but she doesn't _understand_. I can't talk to her when one of the nightmares comes. And, well, she has this cute little dream about a happy little family, and, well, I'm not interested in her that way; never have been, really. She's like a kid sister, y'know, or at the least one of the other kids at the orphanage or in the gang."  
  
Duo pauses, and appears to be searching for a suitable metaphor before coming up with, "she's getting to be worse than Relena was in the beginning about Heero, you know? Did you hear about that? She's always cooing at me about how great it is that we're together now, and she understands about me wanting to wait for the wedding," Duo practically snorts at that thought. "'Cause now she's got her head in the clouds and fluff about weddings. I'm what, probably almost 17? That's what you are, right?" Wufei mumbles an indistinct affirmative. "That's a little young to be picking out someone to spend my life with!" Wufei winces, but Duo misses it, being engrossed in chasing an elusive bit of carrot around his plate.  
  
Duo gives up on the obstreperous vegetable for the moment, and pauses to take a sip of water before he continues. "Besides, I don't want to have somebody so hung up on me that she goes off trying to impress me with stupid stunts; Hilde, she _isn't_ that street smart, and she really _doesn't_ know when to back down from bad odds. You saw her on Peacemillion - nearly got herself killed trying to play the hero? Well, she's _still_ doing stupid stuff like that, getting herself into situations she ought to have the brains to stay clear of. I don't _want_ to have anyone else getting hurt because I wasn't there in time, you know?"  
  
Finally he comes to a stop, commenting rather ruefully, "you'd think I'd have had enough excitement before to last a lifetime already, but here I am, ready to jump at the first sign of excitement again. Stupid, I guess, but I can't seem to help it; I can't let people get hurt through standing back and doing nothing; I've just got to be in there trying to fix the world. So, what've you been doing with yourself, Wufei?"  
  
Wufei takes a moment to re-parse the question before beginning to relate his own recent adventures. He notes that working as a Preventer is very fulfilling, and "Sally is still as cool and competent as ever, although lately she has been worse than my elder sister Ling ever was about mothering me. Which is fine, I suppose, although it would be nice if she would stop treating me like I was still halfway a child." He pauses and gestures with his chopsticks here. "After all, I was considered man enough to be wed at 14 -not that I disagree with you about that being very young to choose for one's self. My clan elders, however - they were another matter altogether. They were the ones in charge of such choices, and of when those marriages would be held."  
  
Wufei pauses for a sip of his own water, then continues, "I was a scholar before the war, did you know? Justice was always Nataku's goal, but when she died, I took up her fight, her ideals. I should have known better. I _did_ know better, in fact, but," he shakes his head, unable to find a conclusion for the thought. "I think perhaps it is like you with the spacewalking - I cannot let the fight go, now, any more than I could turn back to my studies then. It is good to be working with the Preventers now; I have the opportunity to do both - to fight the good fight, for peace and for the people, and yet I am also needed because of the skills I gained as a scholar. Are you done?" On receiving a nod from his guest, he checks the takeout boxes for any remnants to put away, stacks the plates, and stands up to clear the table.  
  
Duo tries to stands as well, but Wufei waves him back down with a "sit. You are injured, and I believe I am strong enough to carry two empty plates back to the kitchen whence I brought them." He smiles, as if laughing at some private joke, before bustling away to the small kitchen. Various clankings and scraping noises later, he emerges with a small amber bottle in one hand and a pair of teacups in the other. He is reading the label on the medicine bottle as he walks. "It's a mild muscle relaxant and a strong pain reliever; not narcotic this time, though. I suspect it should make you a little more comfortable, without being so fuzzy. Take With Food in big green letters - that would be now, or as soon as the tea is made...?"  
  
"With the tea, I think," Duo replies. "I'm out of water, and... I suppose it isn't really imposing here is it? Sorry, too used to having to pay for it." He makes a wry face at the thought, then observes, "you know, I could get spoiled here..." Wufei smiles at that, but makes no comment as he turns back to the kitchen to pour the now-boiling water for tea.  
  
The food and conversation have helped Duo get his third wind, and by now the mild synthetic narcotic he was given at the clinic is definitely beginning to wear off, as his clearing head attests. So, as he is observing his host walking back to the kitchen, Duo has the sudden, surprising thought that Wufei really seems to be enjoying having someone to look after. Might even _need_ to have someone to look after - and apparently something as vague as "the colonies" or "the people" isn't doing it for him any more. Curiosity and cats being what they are, and his splinted wrist being sore and awkward, the fact that his hair has been wisping into his face for the last two hours gives him an excuse to test his theory.  
  
Of course, what he has in mind... requires a certain degree of faith in his friend. //If I'm wrong, though, it's still a reasonable favour to ask, under the circumstances, and I _could_ do it myself. Fine, then. Let's see how well I've got you pegged, Chang Wufei.// Getting up from his spot at the table, he walks over to where his overnight bag has been dropped, near the door, and bends down to open it. After struggling briefly with the zipper, he rummages one-handed in it and emerges with his hairbrush.  
  
By the time Wufei comes back in with the teapot, he is seated again, but holding the brush up for Wufei to see. "Would you mind, Wufei? I could do it myself, but between the wrist and the splint, it'll be a pain and a half." He gestures vaguely towards his dishevelled hair as he returns to the table.  
  
"Of course. Medicine first, though; it will take some time to have any effect. Here, two now, and the tea is still quite hot..."  
  
"I'll be careful, I promise!" A familiar cheeky grin accompanies the words, but the sparkle of good humour behind Duo's eyes is something that Wufei is less familiar with - although he is glad to see it.  
  
Medicine taken, Wufei moves them to the couch, settling Duo at one end and seating himself behind his friend. He can't remember having ever seen Duo's hair down before. Even when the five of them spent time cramped aboard Peacemillion, with a single common room and cramped bunks, Shinigami always retreated to the relative privacy of his own berth to repair any loose ends to the ever-present braid. He is duly careful, therefore, with the honour that is apparently being bestowed upon him.  
  
After easing it gently off the end of Duo's hair, Wufei hands the elastic to Duo, who loops it around the handle of the brush for safekeeping. Then, with careful fingers, Wufei begins to unravel the metre-long braid, unwinding the sections individually. He is surprised when he finally reaches the base of Duo's skull to realize just how long his hair is, as the ends pool on the couch behind Duo's straight back. With all the twists of the braid undone, then, Wufei carefully runs his fingers through the mass of spun chestnut, loosening the sections until they fall as a single rippling wave down Duo's back. In the process, he pulls loose several small bits of metal, and no less than three small fusebombs. //It's as well they _don't_ have metal detectors on the residential wing doors; this much hardware could have set one off. Useful trick, though! I'd never have checked there without this excuse.// He lays these carefully on the table as he finds them, then taps his friend's shoulder, open hand extended. "Brush?"  
  
"Oh! Right, here," Duo says, handing the brush up before beginning to speak again, quietly passing along the story of his braid, his time at the church, and his happier memories of the people who raised him there. Wufei begins his brushing with the ends, but soon realizes that the braiding process has mostly kept the tangles away, and the main part of his work will be those parts near the top where the hair has escaped and been awkwardly tucked back in. With that in mind, he begins drawing the brush gently over Duo's scalp, not pulling too hard. Sure enough, there are the knots, right where the wispy edges ravel. Wufei works the tangles out with a light hand, holding the hair firmly between Duo's head and the snarls where possible to prevent the brush from pulling as he picks through the knots and brushes it all out smoothly. Satisfied with the condition of the edges, he turns to just brushing through the main part, enjoying the soothing rhythm of the brush strokes and of Duo's low quiet voice.  
  
Duo, for his part, is mildly surprised by the apparent accuracy of his conclusion. Nataku's pilot was never particularly interested in being gentle, but evidently Preventer Chang Wufei has found that part of himself again. Somewhere in the middle of the process of brushing out the tangles, Duo realizes that sitting here on this narrow bench with his friend's hands in his hair, he feels... safe, and at home, for the first time in a very long time. Since the Church, actually.  
  
Because he has been talking, the fact that he feels that same peace and safety now is duly noted. After all, Wufei deserves to know that his efforts are being appreciated. Running out of stories from the year he spent at the Church, Duo moves on to say he really missed that sense of 'home', after, and being out on the streets again was different when he was alone. Sure the ladies on the street were nice but it was always cold at night because that was when they went to work. Working with the Sweepers wasn't much better, either - he could never let himself get close to them, because of his curse, and he sure as hell wasn't going to take any chances on sleeping with any of them, after what he'd learned from the walkers about how they'd likely take the phrase.  
  
Wufei startles slightly at the vehemence in Duo's tone as he says that, and it takes him a moment to check his understanding. //Not sleep with them so they wouldn't sleep with him? What the..?// He realizes that he has missed a few sentences, and hopes that they weren't something critical, because Duo has moved on to speak about how he is just starting to realize now how much he has missed being with all the guys, after the wars, when he was back on L2. They had become almost like family to him - a new gang, really, he supposes. And speaking of that, why didn't Wufei come get Duo himself?  
  
Wufei, lulled by the brush strokes and the low meandering voice and the somewhat confessional mood, says, "I needed you. You are the only one I know who could have defused an atomic device, and I know you could handle anything less. But, much as it shames me to say so, I was quite rude to you the last few times we parted, and you - I believed that you were upset with me, with my admittedly pessimistic outlook.(1) After my part in the second Operation Meteor, well, I would not have been surprised if you had just refused outright to come with me, so I sent Sally. Granted, I _was_ behaving in a rather unbalanced manner through most of the last two years. I am surprised that you even wanted anything to do with me at all, much less put the energy into keeping up with me that you did. Things have changed now, though. I have said my goodbyes - to the reason I started fighting, to the reason I kept fighting, to my past, to my colony. I believe it is time for me to start over, now, is it not?" Wufei's hands have gradually stilled throughout this speech, and they rest now on Duo's shoulders, brush loosely clasped between one forefinger and thumb.  
  
"Aaah, I see. Hmm..." The sound is half contemplative, and half pleased hum. "If you're done brushing, Wufei, could you braid it again, please? It tangles pretty quickly if it's left loose. And while the meds are helping my wrist, they're not doing a thing for my back. It feels like one of Zechs' little buddies there used it for a floor mop - all wrung out and twisted up tight. I'm kinda looking forwards to getting to lie down again."  
  
"I could work that out for you, too, if you like? I know a few things about fixing tight back muscles," Wufei offers, as he leans over Duo's shoulder to place the brush gently in his lap. The motion has the effect of bringing his mouth very close to Duo's ear.  
  
//Was that the faintest hitch in his voice?// Duo wonders, even as he nods and Wufei, having already straightened up again, begins gathering his hair at the nape of his neck preparatory to dividing it into its sections and rebraiding it. The fingers that brush through Duo's hair and against his neck are still gentle, but are they lingering just the slightest bit or is it only his imagination?  
  
Duo sits quietly while his hair is being plaited, but his thoughts are running very quickly. It seems as if Wufei is finally owning up to - or at the least, succumbing to - the loneliness and the purely physical human need for contact that he has probably neither acknowledged nor indulged since he came to Earth the first time. Certainly Duo has never seen the L-5 pilot so tactile before. It doesn't surprise anyone when Duo is exuberantly physical, but Wufei has always seemed rather untouchable, holding himself apart. Maybe this end to his mourning - for how else is Duo to interpret his having finally bid goodbye to his Colony, that has been so much orbiting rubble for over a year now? - has helped him more than even he realized? For surely contact with another is a basic human need. //Or perhaps it's just that this isn't a public place? I remember something about that...//

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) reference to Battlefield of Pacifists, Blind Target, and Ground Zero; in each case, Wufei leaves rather quickly after the crisis has been resolved, and Duo seems disappointed with him over his attitude. At the end of EW they do not even speak to each other onscreen, although surely Duo knows what Wufei is doing. And yet, in every instance of their meeting and working together, it is obvious there's some sort of understanding and mutual respect between the two. Besides - who else, in the whole Earth Sphere, would Wufei kibbitz in a chess game for?


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr.9, AC197, 2130hrs_   
_PHQ single residency apt. #205  
(current home of Chang Wufei)_

Braiding Duo's hair doesn't take Wufei very long, and he is soon asking for the elastic to wrap around the end. The skill itself is a familiar one, although when he learned it, he had been expecting to use it on his own queue, and not on a fellow ex-pilot's fingertip-length mane. And 'fellow' is exactly right, Wufei reminds himself. He is suddenly concerned, given Duo's quick request to get his hair finished, that he is being overly personal by resting his hands so. He knows well that the rules on contact differ here from those he grew up with, even given the difference between public and private spaces; he has seen a couple of... vigorous rejections of too-familiar contact in the short time he has been living in Sanq, and does not wish to have to defend himself against one. //Not that I couldn't defend myself! But I do _not_ want to end up hurting Duo more in the process.//  
  
So, Wufei is very careful how he phrases his next words. "There, your hair is all done. Hmm... This bench is too narrow to work on your back properly without a lot of shuffling, and this lovely industrial carpeting is not nearly as comfortable to lie on as a tatami would be; we could use the bed, though..."  
  
Duo nods his thanks, then stands up and peers at the two closed doors. "Sounds like a good idea. I'm guessing that door is the bathroom, right? I think I need to visit there first..."  
  
"Yes, it is; I'll just go... straighten up or something." //That went well... I think...//  
  
Five minutes later, Duo peeks carefully around the corner of the bedroom doorway to see Wufei straightening the already perfectly-flat covers on the bed. Grinning a little to himself, he backs just as silently out of the room before 'making his exit' from the bathroom with a little less stealth. When he pokes his head around the doorframe this time, Wufei is sitting nonchalantly on the bed, apparently just waiting, and rolling a small bottle between his palms to warm it.  
  
"Wufei? Ah, there you are... where do you want me?"  
  
"Just here will be fine. You'll need to take the shirt off, too, so I can see what I'm doing better - and so that I have not been warming this for no purpose," he smiles wryly, holding up the bottle. //Much as I like that lovely tight red shirt _on_ you, I'm sure it will look lovely on my floor as well.//  
  
Duo smiles as well, and moves to undo the zipper at the throat of his red pullover shirt. However, when Duo grasps the shirt hem to pull it off over his head, he gasps suddenly, dropping the shirt and clutching his wrist instead. "Shit! That hurt..." Wufei is already standing beside him, concern written on his face, by the time he opens his eyes from squeezing them shut against the sudden pain of twisting the cracked bones against each other.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asks. Duo nods slightly, so Wufei continues, "do you want to try again, or do you want some help?"  
  
"Uff. I think I can manage, Wufei - just as long as I remember not to _twist_ it again..." he replies wryly, reaching for the shirt again. This time he manages to slip the shirt off over his head with no further problems.  
  
Wufei takes the opportunity, while Duo hangs his shirt carefully on the doorknob and then stretches himself out, catlike, face down on the near side of the bed, to appraise and admire the view. Duo's frame is still as slight as it ever was, although he, like all of the boys, has grown a little taller since the end of the Eve Wars. Nobody really had the time to notice things like that the last time they worked together, but there are now a few variations in height. Duo is nearly as tall as Trowa now, and Quatre is lagging behind the others somewhat. On the other hand, it seems likely that Wufei himself has nearly finished growing. If things keep on at this rate, Duo may well end up the tallest of the lot, Wufei muses. By the time Wufei's thoughts reach him again, Duo is situated and still, and Wufei moves to kneel on the bed beside him, leaning over slightly.  
  
Wufei's hands are warm on Duo's shoulders where they first come to rest, almost impossibly gentle as they move his hair out of the way, brush away a few stray tendrils that didn't quite want to go into the braid, and moves the fine silver chain out of his way. //Lovely...// Pouring a small amount of the warmed massage oil into his palm and recapping the bottle, he starts, first skimming lightly over the upper part of the shoulders, then coming back again, more firmly, questing for the sore points, and finally settling in to work out the knots. The process is repeated on Duo's neck, after a murmured command and the guidance of gentle hands to turn his head straight.  
  
When the muscles in Duo's neck have relaxed somewhat, Wufei enquires after stiffness or headache, and isn't terribly surprised to get affirmative answers to both. He thinks for a moment, thumbs still idly working the long muscles beneath them. //Well, he isn't Yui, after all, so perhaps it would be best... yes, he won't have the opportunity to tense up beforehand that way, but...//  
  
"Do you trust me?" It seems an odd question given their relative positions to Duo, yet it spills from Wufei's lips as if it were the most natural thing in the Earthsphere to ask at this moment. Normally, Duo Maxwell wouldn't - _doesn't_ \- trust _anyone_ as far as he could comfortably spit out a live rat. Make friends with, sure. Keep close? You betcha. Watch like a hawk? Abso-fucking-lutely. Trust? Hell, no.  
  
On the other hand, this is Wufei, who has been saving the world alongside him, for the last two years, off and on, and whom he has never known to be less than honourable - although, to be sure, his choice in causes has been rather questionable from time to time. Still, it looks like he has currently chosen to spend his evening looking after one Duo Maxwell - and Wufei is not one to lightly change his mind. And after all, he realizes, he has already turned his back on the man... to say nothing of letting down his hair, or taking half his clothes off. In fact, now that he thinks about it, the question has, really, already been answered. //I wonder just when _that_ happened...// The frozen moment of decision and realization ended, Duo nods, voicing a mumbled agreement as well.  
  
  
  
Wufei nods as well, unaware of the full magnitude of the half-voiced confession but still somehow sensing some of its import. "Hmm... roll over, then, and slide down a little; it will make this next part easier..." Wufei stands up, and moves to the head of the bed, directing Duo to move downwards a little bit further. Duo is both confused by and curious about the request, but goes with it, purely on trust, for the moment. "Good, that's fine right there. Now relax, let your head be heavy..." Wufei instructs.  
  
A knee settles beside one of Duo's shoulders, and then another by the other, and one strong hand comes to cradle the back of Duo's skull just at the base, stroking the muscles in his neck gently yet with a firm, sure movement of calloused fingers. Duo's eyes open wide as he stares up into those of the man who is now kneeling over his head.  
  
Wufei looks down with a confident, yet somehow soft expression. With his free hand, he traces a finger down Duo's forehead, then down the bridge of his nose, and he says, softly, in a voice like warm honey, "close your eyes, Duo, and just... let go." Duo's eyelids obediently flutter down, as if dragged by voice and hand alike.  
  
//Waitasec, did he just use my name?//  
  
The finger skips from the tip of Duo's pert nose down to his chin and then a hand cups around his jaw. There is a sudden sharp * _twist_ * and * _jerk_ * and * _crackcrackcrackpop_ * (1) and the hand on his jaw is moving smoothly and gently to trace along his jawbone and brush across the soft skin beneath his ear even as Duo's eyes are flying open and his hands are coming up off his chest to - well, to do _something_ , before his ears register the liquid voice still speaking softly and steadily.  
  
"Relax, Maxwell, I know exactly how hard I have to push before your pretty neck is in any danger, and that wasn't anywhere near hard enough," Wufei chuckles. "Although you nearly tagged me there. It does sound horrible, I know. Now, hush, relax again, let your head fall and we'll do the other side."  
  
//Maybe not... but...//  
  
The hands change position, the other one taking over the tracing of features this time, hesitating slightly at the dip of his chin before the hand settles on his jaw, and the thumb moves almost as if in a caress as it tightens before the _*jerk * twist * POP*_ is repeated in the other direction. Duo tenses and shudders involuntarily at the sensation and most especially the sound, but once again it is done before he can really react.  
  
"All done, Maxwell," comes Wufei's voice again, and Duo lets his eyes and fists unclench, as he takes a deep breath.  
  
//Pretty neck? Did he just say... Oh, man... Please let me be reading him right, please...//  
  
The movement Wufei makes is almost definitely a caress as the hand he has on Duo's chin moves to join the one already under his head, and then hard fingers press into the points where the neck and skull meet, seeming almost to be seeking to separate the two. Again, Duo's eyes fly open, once again meeting Wufei's warm gaze. "Afraid I might take your head off?" Wufei gives another slight chuckle at Duo's somewhat wide-eyed expression. "I promise, I'll put it back on again. I thought I might as well check some of the configuration switches while I had it off, though; has everything been running alright for you?" The barest hint of a smile, and a decided twitch to one eyebrow, pass across Wufei's face, and Duo blinks in shock, then laughs softly in answering humour.  
  
"Leaving aside the fact that I'm not entirely sure I haven't just been called an idiot," he pauses, questions in eyes and voice. //Gentle hands... never guess they belonged a warrior...//  
  
"Never that, Maxwell. You, too, were chosen by the Gundam," Wufei answers him. "I merely thought you might like a check of your volume settings; you have been very quiet this evening, and I was c... surprised."  
  
//I wonder what he was _going_ to say before he caught himself?//"It's been a very long day for me, Wufei - the time difference and all - and it's the busiest I've been in a while. Working in the scrapyard doesn't usually give you quite the same sort of adrenaline rush as saving the world! On the other hand," Duo continues, a light smirk dancing about the corners of his mouth, "maybe I _ought_ to have my head examined; here I am lying half-naked in a strange man's bed, with my head in his lap, and all I can think of is that I wish he'd roll me over and work out some of my kinks..." //And man am I going to need to have it examined if I've read him wrong - right after they scrape me off the walls...//  
  
Wufei's eyes widen almost comically as several possible implications of that particular phrase cross through his mind. //Ancestors, don't tell me he's _flirting_ with me! Then again, maybe that isn't a bad thing...//  
  
"Oh, don't look at me like that," Duo continues, laughing, "you _are_ kinda strange, Chang-san, and I mean that in the nicest way. Nobody else quite like ya." //Still in one piece, that's good...//  
  
"Aah, I suppose there is that." //Then again, if he _is_ flirting with me...// A smirk of his own crosses Wufei's face before he adds, "but, right now, I would like you to roll over, and tell me _all_ about these kinks you want to have me work out."  
  
//Oh, Great Shinigami.// Duo chokes back a surprised snort on hearing these most unlikely words from his normally serious friend, then chuckles and rolls over, fetching up with his face pressed against one hard, well-muscled, uniform-clad thigh. "I can't believe you - _you_ , of all people - just said _that_... heeheehee... Jeez - that's _my_ line..."  
  
Duo's head rubs lightly against Wufei's leg as his shoulders shake with quiet laughter, and his arms have landed on either side of Wufei's knee, one hand nearly brushing his ankle. Wufei freezes. //Too close, too damned close...// For an instant, he stops breathing altogether, before he grabs for his self-control again. //Ancestors! Does he know how good that feels? Breathe, Chang...// Slowly, too slowly, he calms.  
  
When Duo's laughter subsides somewhat, Wufei lays a hand lightly on his back before moving, easing his knee out of Duo's hands before swinging off the bed. He grabs the bottle of oil again before taking the two steps down and back onto the bed to kneel straddling Duo's hips, knees at his waist, and carefully avoiding making any other contact. //No, that would probably not be a good idea,// he thinks, even as his hands begin their work on his patient's upper back. //I can't read him well enough to guess how he'd react to _that_... even if he _was_ flirting with me just now. He may not lie, but that doesn't mean he would not _imply_ something that was not, and a flirtation need never be serious...//  
  
From there, things proceed smoothly for a while. Wufei concentrates on the job at hand, and as Duo's muscles relax down as far as the bottom of his ribs, so does some of the peculiar tension that has taken up residence halfway between Wufei's navel and heart. //Enjoy the moment while it is here, Chang; it is never the same river twice.//  
  
As he gets to the small of Duo's back, however, he realizes his self-appointed task extends down past the waistband of Duo's pants. A few tentative passes over the heavy material convince him of the futility of trying to work through them. //Oh, damn it all; these things will have to come off to finish this properly. And I'll be damned if I can figure out whether that's a good thing or a bad one...// "Ah, Maxwell? Would you mind taking these off too?"  
  
//Pants off? oh, shit...// "Um, are you sure you want me to do that, Wufei? I'm kinda not, uh..." //Sure picked a good day to go commando...//  
  
"Ah." Without further words, Wufei opens a nearby drawer and reaching in blindly, grabs a small towel. "Drape that over your hips if it makes you feel better? I'll be right back, I need to get something..."  
  
//Yeah, Chang - try an ice pack. What are you _thinking_ of, or are you? Has it truly been _so_ long since you laid hands on... no, check that, it _has_ been that long... but _Duo?_ // All the possible objections - that he is a foreigner, male, a nameless child of the streets, and quite probably most emphatically _not_ willing or even interested, despite his teasing behaviour - flit through his mind and are dismissed as irrelevant except as they affect the last. Wufei stands in the middle of the kitchen for a good minute, staring unseeingly at the empty teapot on the countertop, before he realizes that the small rustling noises from the bedroom have stopped. //Get it _together_ , Chang.//  
  
Opening the fridge on impulse, he grabs a couple of cans of cold soda instead - something clear and nearly flavourless, but sweet and bubbly. //Good, I've still got these in here. I'm not used to the bubbles yet, and it'll help clear my head. I could use a clear head right about now...//  
  
Heading back towards the bedroom door, he calls ahead, "Duo? Are you all set?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm all ready for ya..."  
  
//Oh, that is _so_ not helping...// Wufei rounds the corner of the doorframe, eyes automatically going to the bed and its occupant. //Well, _shit_. That's the towel I gave 'Lan, just before we... No, don't go there.// Wufei sets one of the cans down on the bedside table and pops the tab on the other, taking a long slam before sitting down gingerly on the edge of the bed. //Do _not_ go there...//  
  
When Wufei looks up again, Duo is leaning up on his elbows, injured wrist resting on the bed, and taking a considerably more polite swallow from the second can. "Thank you, Wufei," he smiles.  
  
A long silence follows, with no further movement on Wufei's part. "Wufei? You ok?"  
  
"Ah. Yes. I... just realized which towel I grabbed; it brings back... memories."  
  
"I'm sorry; do you want to get a different one?" //What memories?//  
  
"I doubt it would help, Maxwell; it was just the crowning touch. That towel - it was part of the... gift I gave to my Nataku to apologize to her after our first fight - literally. She challenged me, mind you - something ridiculous about showing me her justice. I won the match, and lost the argument, although it took a lecture from Master O before I saw that. My... apology ended with more than just the massage; after that, we got on together a lot better."(3)  
  
//Nataku was a woman? For sure his _Gundam_ never challenged him... More than just... Oh!// "And this was bad, how?" Duo's question seems to startle Wufei.  
  
"Ah..." Wufei begins, then pauses again, entirely at a loss for words.  
  
"Hmm. Lemme guess - it's been _way_ too long since you last saw her, and seeing me here in just this particular towel didn't help." //Skin hunger, for sure, but what else?//(4)  
  
Wufei nods his head at the concise summation of his current difficulty - even if his reasons are not quite what he suspects Duo believes to be the case.  
  
//He isn't _afraid_ to keep going, is he? Of what he might do? Am I?// Duo sips again, then carefully sets the can down on the bedside table before twisting around to look directly at his friend. "Wufei - after all we've been through together, _I_ trust you, even if you don't trust yourself. With my life - literally; I think we just proved _that_ one. I think I can trust you with my body - or I wouldn't _be_ here. Shinigami hasn't been around this long without learning a few things about staying out of trouble. I know you're not the most hands-on kinda guy normally, but..." He trails off somewhat uncertainly.  
  
"But?" Wufei prompts, setting his own drink aside.  
  
//No, he might _want_ to, but... that's just not him.// Duo looks directly into Wufei's face, searching for something there, before he continues speaking. "Look, maybe I'm getting the wrong conclusion here, but just listen, okay? I wouldn't have even come home with you in the first place if I had been the least bit worried that you'd do something dishonourable - whether I had any other options or not. I slept on the streets for most of my life, I can do it again. I'm _here_ , though. With you. I _trust_ you, Wufei."  
  
Wufei bows his head, thoughts whirling, and Duo guesses at his confusion. "Wufei - have you ever had a cat?" A nod. "Where I grew up - the cats, they always knew who they could go up to and who to keep away from. I like to think I learned something from them." Wufei cocks his head in inquiry, and Duo continues, "and I'd be..." then shakes his head to clear the image of waving paws from his thoughts. "No, that's beside the point. Look. I was really enjoying what you were doing. It's okay, you can touch me. Hell, do whatever you want - I know you're not gonna do anything to hurt me. Please - continue?"  
  
"Even knowing that I...?" //that I don't want to let you go, that I ache to hold someone close so that I can pretend for a night that someone cares a little for me, that I want there to be more to this than just the kinship of having a common foe?//  
  
"Wufei!" Duo sounds just a little exasperated by now. "I don't lie, remember? And I trust you. Okay?" //Knowing what? Guessing lots, but...//  
  
"As you wish, then," Wufei replies softly, standing to turn and then climb back onto the bed. This time, he kneels straddling Duo's thighs, so that he can easily reach the muscles of his lower back, and picks up where he left off.  
  
In the end, Duo falls asleep under Wufei's touch. With a sigh of mingled relief and disappointment, Wufei slips into the bathroom to change into pajama pants (feeling the need to actually wear them to sleep in for a change). He takes a moment then to straighten the room up a little, and fetches the spare blanket from its drawer on his way back to the bedroom, where he stands looking down at Duo's sleeping form for a minute.  
  
//He did say he missed sleeping with someone else, and there should be enough room for us both. Che. Never thought I'd actually be glad to be so small.// After a moment's consideration of the rough blanket, he folds the quilt back over top of Duo before spreading the blanket over the whole bed. Then he turns out the lights and pads carefully back to slip under the sheets on his side, turning to face away from Duo, his back just barely making contact with the warm, solid presence there. It isn't long before he, too, is asleep.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Do *NOT* try this at home. I cannot stress this enough. Done incorrectly, the technique may cause serious injury, paralysis, or death. Do not attempt it. Yes, I do think Wufei would be familiar with the technique, and even more so with its lethal counterpart.
> 
> (2) author's interpolation of events portrayed in Episode Zero, taken with comments from the directors concerning Wufei's ABC experience; it's fairly clear *something* happened to change her attitude towards him, and there can't have been that much time between their fight and the OZ attack...
> 
> (3) skin hunger - an intrinsic need for physical contact and comfort


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr. 10, AC197; early morning_  
 _PHQ single residency apt. #205  
and Preventers Headquarters cafe_  
  
When Duo wakes the next morning, he is blissfully relaxed. A warm lethargy seems to have been wrapped around him like stained-glass sunbeams on polished wood; the only sour note is the slow throb beginning to make itself felt in his wrist, but even that isn't enough to drag him out of his comfortable spot. He is surprised to note that it is already beginning to be light out. That means, he realizes, that he slept without nightmares last night, even after having been in action again the day before. And, he realizes, he's pleasantly warm, too, for a change - all wrapped up and cuddled up close... He stiffens suddenly. //Wait a minute... cuddled? What happened last night, again? Conversation... hair... massage... and then... No, that's the end of it. Either those meds were something else... but that makes no sense; Wufei wouldn't have lied about what they were.//  
  
As Duo is mulling over these thoughts, an arm flops over his midsection, and pulls him snugly up against the solid body curled up around and behind him. //Hmmmm... feels nice.// Curious, Duo looks down. //That's definitely Wufei's arm... Is he still asleep? Well, I _did_ tell him to do whatever he wanted, so I guess...// He squirms a bit, then slips his hand down to check out just what happened to his... well, his towel, he supposes, since he does remember stripping down during the massage. //Well, that's still there, and... Yeah, I'm all wrapped up in the quilt. Looks like he just bundled me up in it before crashing himself.//  
  
Duo pulls his hand back up and runs his fingers through his bangs, then untangles the chain from around his neck and idly rubs his fingers over his cross, thinking. //Well, let's see. Butt naked except for a towel and wrapped in blankets. Separately wrapped, though. Not sore anywhere. I doubt I could have slept through _that_ , anyway - these meds aren't _that_ good. So nothing else happened. I guess he must get lonely for someone to cuddle with at night too.// He squirms a little, worming himself into the embrace just that much closer, enjoying the feeling. //Heh; points for the intuition; knew I was right about him.// He smiles to himself, the barest upturn of lips and a warm shine in half-opened eyes. //God, I missed this feeling; safe, warm, close... Wonder how _he's_ gonna react to waking up wrapped around me like this, though...//  
  
He doesn't have to wonder long. There's a sleepy murmur behind him that sounds like "Lan..." and the arm around his waist tightens slightly - then freezes.  
  
Wufei's thoughts, on finding that the warm body in his arms is not, in fact, yet another dream of times past, are considerably more jumbled. //No, it can't be her, she's long dead - even before the others were. Then... who? that scent... the colour of those shoulders, that scar... Duo? Yes, it must be; nobody else has hair like that, but... why is he in my bed with me...?//  
  
As he becomes more awake, scenes from the night before flicker through Wufei's memory. //Oh... right. Is he awake yet? It's already light out, so it's probably time to get up anyway...//Wufei shifts then, propping himself up to half sit while leaning on his elbow, then pulls back the arm he has wrapped around Duo, carefully but not skittishly. //I wonder... Damn, I hope I didn't screw up some weird cultural thing...// A quick glance past the form of his (hopefully!) still sleeping bedmate at the clock confirms that it is, indeed, probably about time to get up, especially considering that they will have to share the bathroom. He rests a hand on Duo's shoulder, gripping gently and rocking back and forth lightly. "Maxwell? You awake? Come on, sleepy, time to get up..."  
  
Duo shifts then, sounding far too awake to have been just woken as he replies, "I would, Wufei, but I wasn't sure you wanted me walking around in just this towel, and I don't see my pants out there..." He squirms over onto his back and then sits up, the quilt and blanket puddling around his hips as he does so. He absently reaches up with his bad wrist to tug his cross back to the front and hisses sharply before trying again with the other hand.  
  
//Well, I guess that answers that; he doesn't seem upset to have woken up here.// "Ah, I folded them on the chair out there," Wufei explains, as he folds back his own sheets. //And he was awake before me...// He gets up to fetch Duo's pants, deciding that there's no point in being bashful now. He's three steps away from the bed before the swish of fabric around his ankles reminds him that he _is_ wearing something after all. //And he didn't move away, either. Knowing Duo, if he had minded, he would have moved, pants or not. Speaking of which,// Wufei thinks as he takes a good look at the state of Duo's pants. They definitely show signs of having been worn, slept in, and then dragged through the mud, now that the light is better. He picks them up and walks back to the bedroom. "Considering what you put these through yesterday, do you want to borrow something of mine for now? We can wash your things after breakfast; I need to run some laundry anyway..."  
  
"Hmmm, thank you, I'd appreciate that," Duo says. Wufei drops the pants into a hamper in the corner, then takes Duo's shirt off the doorknob and tosses it in as well. "Sally didn't give me much time to pack, and I figured tools were gonna be more important... Um... You wouldn't happen to have coffee, would you? And maybe a shower once my clothes are clean...?" Duo sounds distinctly hopeful.  
  
"Yes, actually, to both, but no milk, if you take that." Wufei smiles as he bends down to open one of the dresser drawers, rummaging through it to find a pair of pants that might fit the now slightly taller //very attractive// young man who is sitting //naked// in his bed. //Focus, Chang.//  
  
"Oh," Duo comments. "Tea would be fine then I guess; I can't seem to get used to drinking my coffee black," he says.  
  
"Here, try these," Wufei says, handing Duo a pair of loose sweat pants which he seldom wears because they tend to drag and bunch at his ankles. "The bathroom is yours; I need to get my things together, and then take my shower once you have done." //Probably a cold one.// He watches as Duo swivels his feet out of bed, then prudently turns back to the dresser, looking through one of the upper drawers this time. "We can go down to the on-duty cafe for breakfast rather than stay here, so you can have your coffee how you like it; I do not believe I am in the mood for cold rice anyway..."  
  
"Eeeww!" Duo's face, as he finishes pulling the loose grey sweatpants on, is twisted in a comical grimace. "Cold rice for breakfast? That's worse than black coffee, Wufei... Yeesh, you been taking cooking lessons from Heero or something?"  
  
"No, actually. I've been _giving_ cooking lessons to Yui, but that is rather beside the point, is it not?" Wufei nearly laughs at the startled look on Duo's face as this bit of information is revealed. "Go on, and don't take too long in there; you sounded like you need to take some more of those meds."  
  
When Duo gets back out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Wufei is waiting for him with a glass of water and more of the pain medicine and one of the antibiotic pills as well. "Here, take this now too." He watches while Duo takes his medicine, holding the pills on one outstretched palm, then turns to pick up a small stack of clean clothing from the countertop. "There are shirts in the third drawer; feel free to pick one you like. I should be out shortly, and then we can go find you some coffee, hmm?"  
  
20 minutes later, Wufei is looking and feeling relatively professional again, although his neatly tied back hair is still quite damp. Duo has found, after some very careful rummaging, a plain emerald green T-shirt that isn't decorated with kanji. //With my luck, I'd be sure to get the one that Wufei only wears when he wants to flip off the world. Or the one that reads 'Property of Nataku'. Better not to tempt fate...// Wufei nods approvingly at him as he slips his own shoes on, and somewhere, a small, vain voice in Duo's head bounces excitedly.  
  
The pair don't run into anyone on the way to breakfast, which makes Wufei much easier over the subject. He does have a reputation to uphold, after all! Having had overnight company would be bad enough. Having his overnight company recognized as being dressed in his clothes would only raise speculations he isn't quite sure he's yet prepared to deal with. He's really not certain that the fact that his overnight company happens to be male improves that situation, either.  
  
It would not have raised _too_ many eyebrows back on A0206 (in fact, Wufei well remembers his youngest uncle's _qidi_(1), who used to read him the best stories when he was a tiny child), so long as his filial duties were fulfilled. And, as he reminds himself, he no longer _has_ those - not that they would necessarily have interfered with his taking a lover in any case. //And let us not get ahead of ourselves, Chang... You still don't know for certain if he is even interested... Although he does seem to be available... and not completely opposed to the idea...//  
  
However, there seem to be very few male couples here in the Sanq area, and Wufei is rather leery of causing any further rumours about himself to be spread. Already he is suspected of being an ex-terrorist (true though that is!) and of having applied for his position via Sally's bed (most emphatically _not_ true!). He doesn't see any need to add to the list. So Wufei offers a silent thanks to his ancestors as they arrive without undue notice at the cafe, and join the line for service.  
  
The two make their way through the line and are soon sitting at a quiet table far enough from anyone to prevent casual eavesdropping, but not so far hidden away as to arouse suspicion that their conversation might be interesting enough to warrant the attempt. Once they are seated, Duo asks the question that has been plaguing him for the past half hour, "so, who's Lan?"  
  
"My wife, Meilan.(2) I must apologize for this morning, I suppose."  
  
"No, Wufei, it's okay, I lik... I mean, I wasn't planning to crash in your bed like that..." he says, and takes a large swig of coffee. //Shinigami, why can't I stop blurting things out around him?// When he puts the cup down, he is already steering the conversation back to a safer topic. "I didn't know you were married, Wufei. Why isn't she here with you?" //...and if he is, then what the fuck...?//  
  
"She died, in an OZ attack on my colony, about six months before we came to Earth. You could not have known; I didn't exactly tell any of you much about my past. Now, what was that about liking waking up that way?"  
  
"I," Duo stutters, surprised at having been caught out and questioned. //Shit. He did catch it.// "Well," he begins again, "at the orphanage all us little ones, we'd get packed in four to a bed going the wrong way. I guess it was cheaper than separate cots for everyone, and it was warmer in the winter. It was nice, kinda like being home again. I didn't have the nightmares last night, either, which is really strange considering we were fighting yesterday, even if it did turn out okay. Damn, if I'd known in advance what I know about that now, I would've dropped it quicker, y'know? My wrist still hurts this morning..." //...a widower at 14? Dear Shinigami...//  
  
"Ah, but if you had known in advance, would you have come? No, never mind." Wufei fiddles with his breakfast for a moment before apparently changing the subject, asking, "what will you do next?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, well... I have that appointment this morning to talk to Une, but after that, I need to go back to L2 for a while. I have some business with Hilde to take care of. I was thinking last night - when you were about down to my shoulder blades - that I couldn't just keep avoiding the issue with her. I may not be telling her I've got the same happy-little-family dreams she does, but I haven't discouraged her any, either, and it's time I stopped letting her lie to herself. I've got too much to deal with from the war, still, to be worrying about settling down with her and having kids, and, well... She deserves the chance to go look for someone who can give her what she wants, you know?"  
  
Wufei nods. "Yes, that would probably be kindest to her."  
  
Duo gazes at his coffee cup for a moment before looking up again. //Fuck it. All he can do is reject me; if he was gonna kill me he'd've done it last night.// "Last night is the first time I haven't dreamed that Deathscythe was about to push the button on me since we said goodbye to them last month, y'know? And before that, it was the soldiers I killed, or the other kids from the orphanage or the gangs, or..." He shudders with the memories. "Anyway... d'you mind if I stay with you for the rest of the time I'm here? It won't be for more than a couple of days, but unless I get a lift the commercial shuttles don't run straight to L2 so often, and I _hate_ having to stop over at the Moon Base, after all the trouble we've had there."  
  
Wufei chuckles slightly at the reference. "I do not mind. You know, if you do take the position, it will be easier to arrange transport. I take it you are interested in Une's offer, then?"  
  
"Uh, huh. I just need to wrap things up with Hilde and her yard, first, before I can start, provided I like the terms. I might need to stay with you for a couple of days while I found my own place, then, too..."  
  
//I wonder...// "Maxwell..." Wufei sounds oddly tentative, and Duo finds it rather unsettling to hear his normally self-confident friend so unsure of himself. "If you do come to work here... Would you consider a longer-term arrangement?"  
  
"Huh?" Duo is startled enough to be rendered speechless.  
  
"They have some larger apartments over on the other side of the courtyard. They are two-bedroom units, and they are mostly empty so far; I shouldn't have any trouble getting one, but they are on leases, not available on a short-term basis like the singles."  
  
"Um, Wufei?" Duo is plainly surprised by the implications of that information, taken with the previous question. "Are you asking me to move in with you? Maybe I need to check _your_ head this morning..."  
  
"I think my head is probably fine - perhaps more so than you have been privy to previously, in fact - but thank you for offering," Wufei smiles. "Think about it, though. They are not quite as big as two of the singles put together, but with only the one kitchen and bath, there is more living space; the rent works out to less when split two ways as well."  
  
"So, it's just a better deal? Why not pick someone else, then, who won't be in your face all the time? Heero, Quatre, and Hilde can all tell you I'm not a quiet person to live with."  
  
Wufei smiles. "A number of reasons, in truth. We work well together in the field, for one. And you do know how - and when -to be quiet. Also, I was thinking about what you said last night... About having someone around who understands the nightmares without having them explained, and what losing your family and being helpless to save them feels like. And something else. Do you know, you had that damned loud ever-competent ever-confident grinning mask _off_ the whole time last night? Even _after_ the narcotic wore off."  
  
Duo blinks as he realizes that it's quite true. "Yeah, I did, didn't I? Didn't need it, I guess..."  
  
Wufei nods. "I thought as much. And you have mentioned feeling at home again, several times now. I don't know. We could try it, though; if it does not work, we would just find separate places after the lease expires." Wufei is, by this time, toying with his fork rather than making any pretence whatsoever at eating.  
  
"It means a lot to you that I agree, doesn't it, Wufei? Why?"  
  
//Here goes..// "Because of the nightmare I did not have last night, either." Wufei glances up at Duo's face, barely catching the fleeting expression of shock. "Yes, my dreams are still... less than pleasant. How could they be otherwise, after what we have done, what we have seen?" Wufei pauses for a sip of his tea. "I am becoming wary of making assumptions about how people will react to things here, where the oddest things are the opposite of what I expect. But you have as much as told me that it did not bother _you_ to wake up as we did. It also occurred to me that what is good enough for an Emperor is surely good enough for me, especially now that I am the one who must choose for myself. I have already fulfilled my family duty of marriage, and I have been freed of it."  
  
"Family duty? That seems like an awfully strange way to think about someone you love..."  
  
"Love?" Wufei makes a rude snorting noise. "No, not among my people. Love might come, but it was never the point, nor ever required. No. Marriage was never about love on my Colony, only the family line."(3)  
  
"Even my marriage, much as I came to wish otherwise," Wufei comments with a somewhat bitter laugh. "Oh, she hated that I even walked the colony, much less that I was deemed necessary to continue her family's line. Not even _my_ family's line, but hers. And here I talk of honour! Laoshi O tried to send me back to my studies, when she died, but instead I chose to take up her cause, to fight for justice.(4) Stupid, no? I didn't believe in her Justice, and I certainly didn't understand it. It was all I could think of to do, however.  
  
"After the Eve War," Wufei continues, "I spent a full year trying to learn what justice _is_ , since I never did find it in avenging her death. Khushrenada - I did not kill him, in the end; rather, he threw himself onto my trident. Vulcanus, the affair with Sogran, even that foolish scheme of Quatre's - none of them helped.(5) Mariemeia provided the key, in the end; without her, Yui would never have been forced to remind me of _who_ I began fighting for. I finally remembered what I knew all along - justice is not an absolute, and trying to make it one only causes more senseless deaths - like hers was. But now, Nataku is gone, in both her incarnations, and I am done with mourning her."  
  
"Well, that explains a _lot_ , but could you go over the bit about Emperors for me again?"  
  
"Ah. Any number of Emperors, according to the histories, saw fit to take another man into their households - and presumably from the literature, their hearts and beds. Of course, it was hardly unknown among the common people either, but their stories did not tend to get recorded in the same scrolls - then, or on the Colony. How common this occurrence was varied by Dynasty, and after the Western influx that fact was... suppressed for a long time, but I _was_ a scholar after all, to begin with."(6)  
  
"Oh. And you're telling me this now because...?" //Into their hearts? Does he mean..?//  
  
"Because now... Hah! This is where I should borrow a trick from your book and evade the question, I suppose. But after this morning, I think I do not wish to hide. Because... I liked waking up like that, as well, and I would very much like to understand... what this is that I feel for you." Wufei's voice has grown quiet, and it is edged with all sorts of emotions that Duo has to struggle to guess at.  
  
//Oh... my... God...// Duo finishes his breakfast in silence after this, broken only by his asking Wufei if he would like a refill when he goes to fetch a second cup of coffee for himself, and if he wanted sugar.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long notes for this part, but Bronze spent a lot of time compiling this information:
> 
> (1) _qidi_ - technically, "adopted younger brother". However, the term was used specifically to refer to the younger of a pair of bonded male lovers. A ceremony similar to that for swearing blood brotherhood, but containing the same promises to fulfil obligations as a marriage, was commonly used to celebrate the union. The _qixiong_ (the elder of the pair) would be responsible for his _qidi_ in much the same manner as he would be for a wife, and the _qidi_ would be treated as a son-in-law by the _qixiong_'s parents. Wufei's uncle and uncle-in-law are my creations.
> 
> (2) While the katakana is indeterminate on the subject of R's and L's, the kanji used here is listed in my reference source as being pronounced 'Lan', so I'm using this version of her name.
> 
> (3) Wufei is quite correct. In a society where the bride and bridegroom never saw each other before the wedding, it is ludicrous to think that love played any part in the selection process. Instead, it was a duty to one's family to marry the selected person and produce children - preferably male - in order to continue the family line.
> 
> (4) According to my research, since Meilan is identified as Long Shirin's heir, Wufei, in contradiction to usual practice (whereby Meilan would become a member of the Chang family/clan), was being "adopted" via the marriage into the Long clan as their son. His children, if not he himself (which would have been a great dishonour to his own family), would have been required to take her family name, in order to continue the Long family line. In other words, Meilan remained Long Meilan, not becoming Chang Meilan at any point; if any changing of names took place, then Chang Wufei became Long Wufei for the time that he was married.
> 
> The term for Wufei's position in Meilan's family translates roughly as "superfluous husband" or "unnecessary son-in-law" - no wonder he speaks of having to prove himself worthy of being her husband! However, with Meilan's death, any of his children would not be Longs by blood anyway, hence he was 'set free' - and Master O tells him so at the end of his Ep0. What he wants at the time is to avenge his wife and carry out her justice, but it doesn't negate the fact that as her "widow" (because the role of a widower was quite different) he was essentially being dismissed from the Long clan.
> 
> (5) Wufei refers to the events shown in Battlefield of Pacifists, Blind Target, and Ground Zero, respectively.
> 
> (6) The existence of male Consorts is recorded in the official documents of the relevant Dynasties, while the associated love stories are recorded in the literature of these eras (and regarded among the classics). In the 1800's, however, European visitors began importing Christian views of morality, as well as Western definitions of homosexuality. As a consequence, today it is difficult to find information on the subject. Just how 'traditional' the society on A0206 was, of course, is up to an individual author to decide...
> 
> (More) Author notes: yes, I am aware that there is a fan site which states that Wufei's culture is matriarchal, and that Long Shirin is Meilan's grandmother; and, that this "fact" has been widely copied. This is, from my research, quite incorrect. I believe I have also found the source of this bit of misinformation, where the description given contradicts the word used. Reference links available on request.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr. 10, AC197; morning_  
 _Preventers Headquarters environs_  
  
In fact, Duo doesn't seem to have much to say for the rest of the morning, appearing lost in thought. He silently helps stack their breakfast trays, and just as silently trails after Wufei to drop them off. He is only half a step behind Wufei as they leave the cafe, and by the time they are in the hallway they are moving together with the ease of long familiarity.  
  
//He did not say no. That ought to be a good sign.// "Here we are," Wufei says as they reach his door. "You could just wait here while I get the laundry things, rather than deal with the shoes?" Duo nods, and leans against the inside of the door frame, keeping his feet carefully inside the small tiled area obviously designated for shoes. It takes Wufei less than a minute to fetch the hamper and retrieve a box of soap from its place. In another minute, they are walking down the hallway in the opposite direction, and down the stairs to the laundry room.  
  
Their conversation in the laundry room follows much the same pattern. Duo quietly moves to take a seat at one of the small tables in the corner while Wufei starts the washing. He does look up and smile softly at his friend when Wufei slides into the seat across from him, then drops his gaze to the cross he is once again fiddling with. //God, what do I say to him? He never showed much interest before - or was it there and I just never got to see it? Was he just not ready to think about it himself, because of her?//  
  
Wufei takes a few minutes to study Duo's face; deep in thought, a faint crease marking his brow, and occasionally catching his lower lip between his teeth, he is far more still than Wufei is used to seeing. The silence of the normally ebullient Shinigami is unnerving. Abruptly realizing he is staring, Wufei sits back, closes his eyes, and reaches for the stillness of his own meditations. Calm eludes him, however; having poured his heart out on the breakfast table, and bereft of any input from Duo, Wufei is now in an emotional limbo. //Well, what did you expect, Chang? Heartfelt declarations of undying love? Get real!//  
  
It is not until Wufei returns to his seat from tossing their clothes into the dryers that Duo speaks, startling Wufei by asking, "you do know about my curse, right?"  
  
"Curse, Maxwell?" Wufei's expression is puzzled.  
  
"I'm Shinigami, Wufei - because everyone the God of Death loves, dies." Duo's tone is almost resigned.  
  
"Sooner or later, everyone dies, Maxwell, cursed or not. And, if that is the nature of your curse, then surely I am Shinigami as well. My wife, my family, my teachers and classmates, my clan, my entire colony - all lost, all so much rubble between the stars."  
  
Duo blinks, then resumes his nervous fiddling. //But... How... He's right, but... Not so soon... Although... But!// His thoughts whirl as he ponders Wufei's words.  
  
After waiting a few minutes to be sure there are no further questions immediately forthcoming, Wufei once again tries to still his turbulent thoughts. One in particular keeps returning, however. //Everyone he loves dies... everyone he loves? and he warns _me_ of that?//  
  
Neither speaks again until they are back in Wufei's quarters, where he asks Duo whether he wants to wash his hair, given his wrist, or if it would be better to have it pinned up instead.  
  
"Pinned up, I guess - if you've got something I could use for that?"  
  
A quick search of the small casket on his dresser provides a pair of small, tasselled picks, which Wufei brings back into the living room, along with Duo's now clean clothes and a fresh towel. "Sit down for me, then. These are probably a bit small for the task, but I should be able to get them to hold for long enough." Duo obediently sits, putting the small bundle of fabric in his lap. Wufei takes a moment to study the problem at hand before tucking some of the loose strands of hair back into the braid, then folding and wrapping it into a short, thick bundle that he pins as firmly as possible to the back of Duo's head. "There, that should hold, as long as you do not shake it. Call if you run into problems." And then Wufei walks into the kitchen to put the kettle on, leaving Duo to pat lightly at his new style before standing up and making his way to the bathroom.  
  
By the time Duo emerges, freshly scrubbed and dressed, the tea is ready and Wufei has set it on the table. Duo's brush has been laid out beside the cups, and Wufei has evidently just picked up the teapot to pour out. Duo pads softly to his appointed place, folding himself gracefully down onto the floor. He waits for Wufei to pour his own tea and take a sip before picking up the cup that awaits him. He sips the hot tea carefully, then puts the cup down on the table with a small *click*.  
  
"Wufei?" Duo asks. Wufei lifts his head, looking questions at him. "Thank you. For everything." Wufei smiles, and nods once, before turning his attention back to his cup, which has a fascinating pattern painted about its rim.  
  
"Wufei?" This time, Wufei raises an eyebrow as well as his eyes. "I was just wondering... Why?"  
  
"Why what, Maxwell?"  
  
"Why you're doing all this for me."  
  
"Because I want to?"  
  
"I guess that's my problem, Wufei. What is it that you want? First you take me home and look after me, now you want to room with me. And sleep with me, if I'm inferring correctly. Which I'm not complaining about, really. I just wanna know, if it's just... I mean, nothing comes free on L2, and I already owe you for..." Duo breaks off, obviously frustrated at not being able to find the proper words.  
  
"No, Maxwell, I do not intend to collect a payment for this past evening. I have yet to finish paying off the debt of care I have already incurred with you, and yet I compound it by asking for your continued company. This caring for each other, is this not what friends and comrades in arms do? Were our positions reversed, you would do as much for me, and ask less in return. Have done so, in fact."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. But I think of you guys as my brothers, you know? Family, gang, whatever. I didn't think you felt the same way..."  
  
"I am not entirely certain that I do, _zhan you_. My brothers were enough older than me that I rarely saw them, and we were never very close. And I do not feel quite this way for the others. What?"  
  
Duo's face is twisted into a very puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, Wufei. My knowledge of Chinese is, well... very small. You didn't just call me a babbling infant, did you?"  
  
Wufei blinks, thinks back, then chuckles. "Just enough knowledge to be dangerous. No, it is... a 'comrade in arms', I believe is the proper translation.(1) The intonation is quite different, but if you are not used to hearing that..." Duo shakes his head. "Besides, you have been doing nothing even remotely resembling your usual babbling today, and I am rather missing it," Wufei continues, then pauses and adds, "oddly enough," almost as an afterthought.  
  
"As for sleeping arrangements - I do not want from you that which you are not willing to give. I _am_ proposing that we take an apartment with two bedrooms, after all - in case I misinterpreted your words earlier and you do not wish to repeat last night's arrangement. I have been forced to accept one unwilling bedmate already; I would not voluntarily do so again. I am quite certain that I still have dents in my shins from my wedding night..."  
  
Duo laughs briefly at the image, then sobers to ask, "so... you meant just sleeping, then, not, uh, anything else?" He flushes slightly as he gets this last part out.  
  
Wufei raises an eyebrow. "I would be more than content with that, but I leave it entirely to you to decide. Should you choose to continue sharing, however, we should definitely consider buying a wider bed." He drains the rest of his tea, and sets the cup down. "Was there anything else you wished to know?"  
  
"Not right now. I need to talk to Une first..."  
  
"Very well, then. Are you ready to have your hair brushed out again? I doubt you wish to appear before her with it swept up like that," Wufei points out. In fact, one of the picks has come loose, the other has slipped position, and the whole mass is in danger of falling.(2)  
  
"No, I probably don't," Duo agrees, before handing the brush over and scooting around to sit with his back to Wufei.  
  
+  
  
Perhaps half an hour later, as they are walking down the hall towards Une's office, Duo asks, "you know I can't really decide anything until I've talked to her, right?"  
  
"Of course, Maxwell; it is only logical." Not quite what Wufei wanted to hear, perhaps, but he knows Duo's motto well enough to realize that no, he can't promise anything yet. Duo only nods, and knocks on Une's office door.  
  
+  
  
When Duo comes back out, Wufei is still hovering anxiously -although it looks to casual observers very much as if he is merely waiting impatiently and with some annoyance. Duo's first words are hardly encouraging. "Wufei, I have one more question to ask you..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You always call me Maxwell; why? Is it that you are being polite, or is it just a habit, or do you really hold that much respect for me? I... really need to know."  
  
Wufei blinks. "In the beginning, it was politeness, and habit, I suppose. But I have grown to respect all of you as my fellow pilots. You should know that if I did not respect you, I would hardly have asked you to share a dwelling with me, much less... Ah..." He glances around at the busy office, but no one is particularly paying them any mind.  
  
"Ah. That's good." Duo smiles then. "But from now on, you call me Duo, okay? I don't think I could stand waking up with someone who won't use my given name." He gives Wufei a lopsided grin. "Go on, I think you need to see her now - about that apartment."  
  
Wufei's eyes widen, and a smile threatens to take over his face for just an instant before he turns to walk very soberly into Une's office to make the request. "Of course, Duo... as you say. And perhaps some time off for moving in at the end of the month as well, while I'm in there."  
  
Left outside to wait, Duo smiles.  
  
\+   
  
When Wufei comes back out of Une's office, he is smiling again. Oh, it is not a large smile, and it is very far from the manic grin Duo has been known to wear, but it is, very definitely, a smile. His eyes, moreover, hold a bright sparkle. Spotting Duo, he casts about for a private space next; he ushers Duo before him into the nearest unoccupied office and locks the door behind them.  
  
"What is it, Wufei?" Duo is, to put it mildly, confused by his friend's behaviour, and the *snick* of the lock is not particularly reassuring to the ex-street rat.  
  
When Wufei turns around from the door, however, his smile is a rival for Duo's grandest, and he nearly skips with glee as he crosses the room.  
  
"Wufei, man, you're freaking me out here. When did the pod people put 'joy' into your file of expressions?"  
  
A flicker of concern dims some of the glow coming from Wufei, and he stops, then says quietly, "it has always been there, Duo. I have had few causes to use it recently, and fewer places. Forgive me? I did not think I could keep this inside until we could reach a more appropriate place for such an unseemly display." And then he bows, deeply.  
  
A look of shock crosses Duo's face, as several realizations flood through him. Before he can consciously think about it, he steps up and pulls Wufei awkwardly into a tight hug - or as tight a hug as possible, given Wufei's clasped hands and bowed head. "Shh, shh, it's okay, Wufei, I was just surprised; I've never seen you like this before. If you've always been waiting until you were behind a locked hatch to smile... Ha! If I felt like you looked just now, I'd be out _there_ ," he frees an arm just long enough to gesture briefly towards the main area of the office, "up on a table in the middle of the room dancing around and yelling 'whoohoo' at the top of my lungs. If you need to be in private to do that, then I'm guessing it's quite a privilege to be in here with you, hmm? So, what are we dancing about?"  
  
Wufei lifts his head then, and unclasps his hands enough to rest them against Duo's shoulders, pushing him back just enough to look into his face. "I am forgiven, then?"  
  
"Nothing to forgive, Wufei - but if you're going to drag me into a locked room with you I _definitely_ think I deserve to hear why, don't you?"  
  
Wufei's smile returns, and he slips his arms down to rest at Duo's waist. "Very well, then. We need to stop by requisitions first; they are in charge of those leases. You need to go there anyway, correct? We can sign now; we take possession on the first, and we will have the day off to move and arrange matters. But that's not the best part. The new department is a go; she has at least the four of us, _and_... you and I have been assigned as partners; we are first call on threatened bombings, Barton and Merquise will be first call on political and military threats. She seems to have been quite impressed with your resume."  
  
Duo grins. "That's great, Wufei! She didn't mention partners to me. Cool!"  
  
Wufei smiles again, then slides his hands around Duo's back in a gentle embrace, almost as if he is afraid that it is too much, going too far, but unable to stop himself. "I am glad that you approve of my request."  
  
"You did? Chang Wufei, the Lone Ranger, _asked_ for a partner?"(3)  
  
"No, I requested that I be partnered with you. It is good to have backup, no?"  
  
"Yeah." Duo smiles brightly and returns the hug, then, surprising Wufei with the strength in those slender arms. "Ouch." He unwraps himself again.  
  
"Duo?"  
  
Duo's voice is somewhat rueful as he admits, "just my wrist again. I keep forgetting about it. Hey, listen, did you set up a time to meet with Quatre today or should we call him about that?"  
  
"I suppose we should call him. Would you be up to talking with him and Heero over lunch, or would you prefer a later time?" Wufei also steps back, reluctantly releasing Duo, and turning towards the door.  
  
"Lunch will be fine. We should have time to get to requisitions between now and then, right?" Duo is only a step behind his new partner as they step out of the office and head towards the area where Wufei's desk is. There, they contact the palace and arrange a lunch-time meeting with their friends. With an hour to spare, they head down to the requisitions department, where the smiling clerk on duty has already pulled the necessary forms for apartment #17, thanks to a call from Lady Une, and has even filled out most of the spaces for them. He is also quickly able to pull a set of uniforms and equipment for Duo, and waves the pair off again with a smile.  
  
"So, back to your place, Wufei, or do ya wanna try and find mine?" Duo asks as they climb the stairs from the basement towards the living quarters. //Why do these places _always_ seem to be in the basement? Ugh!//  
  
"Your place? Ah, Une gave you keys? Let me guess, for #202? It would suit her new sense of humour. Merquise is in the rooms next to mine, and for some reason she has been avoiding giving out the first few units on my floor..." Wufei sounds as if he would be laughing if he were not attempting to balance a pile of jackets, shirts, pants, regulation sidearms and initial ammunition allowances while navigating the stairs.  
  
"Um..." Duo carefully shifts his handful of footwear and his parka to balance on his splinted wrist in a way that won't aggravate the injury, then digs through his pockets with the other hand, emerging with a set of keys an instant later. He looks at the tag, then snorts, "yup! Right the first time... So. Which will it be?"  
  
"Mine, I think. Harder to forget them when we move, especially if you take longer to finish your business or your transport gets held up and I have to move it all myself. You were not planning to start until you got back, correct? So you will not need any of this until then. Besides, we need to get you another dose of those painkillers before we go for lunch." They have reached the proper floor, by now, and Wufei waits while Duo, who still has one hand mostly free, opens the door. "Keys in my left hip pocket."  
  
"Already got 'em, Wufei," Duo chirps as he bounces ahead to unlock that door as well.  
  
"How did you... I didn't..." Wufei stutters as he comes through the door and bends to place his pile of things down on the carpet beyond the doorway, beside the small heap of things that Duo had been carrying.  
  
"L2 taught me many things, Wufei. My earliest memories include learning to pick pockets and dodging angry soldiers. I was behind you the whole time up the stairs, and it wasn't hard to see where they were - or to grab them. Don't worry; I've given up stealing. I just didn't think you'd appreciate having me patting your backside in the hallway." Duo stands up from taking his shoes off, winks, and hands the keys back. "There you go. How long have we got until we need to leave for lunch?"  
  
Wufei closes his mouth, which had fallen open, opens it, closes it again, and then shakes his head. Then the last question registers and he checks his wrist. "Not much longer; another ten minutes or so. If we do not leave by then we will be late."  
  
"Good! 'Cause I need to use the bathroom, and then I hafta ask you something," Duo says, and disappears.  
  
Wufei has a distinct flash of deja vu at those last words. He picks up the bundle of Duo's uniforms and shifts it to an out-of-the-way spot, then does the same thing for the rest of his equipment. Finally, he heads into the kitchen to retrieve the bottle with Duo's painkillers. He emerges with them just as Duo is exiting the bathroom, and hands them over with a gruff "here, hold these," before brushing past him and closing the door.  
  
"Um, okay..." Duo makes his way to sit down on the couch to wait. Wufei doesn't take long, and Duo hops up again to wait for Wufei to come a little closer.  
  
"So, what was this latest question, Duo?" There is the faintest hint of a sardonic lilt in Wufei's voice, but he seems vaguely amused, as if discovering some of the consequences he is about to be reaping.  
  
"Um. I was just wondering what you wanted to tell Heero and Quatre about, er... us, I guess..." Duo hesitates, then continues, "I mean, I don't know how much you want them to know - and I sure don't want to say something that's going to make 'em think something that's gonna embarrass you, and I'm not sure where that line is, so..."  
  
"Ah, good point. We tell them you will be working with me, and that we have agreed to share an apartment - and we invite them to help us move in on the first. I believe that is the correct procedure, is it not? I am not seeing the problem, yet there is something that you are dancing around, Duo. What is it?"  
  
"Um," Duo blushes, "well. You wanna tell them we'll be sharing a bed? With what that might be considered to imply?"  
  
//We'll be sharing...// "I do not think they need to know that, do you?"  
  
"Yeah, well, they're gonna figure it out if we only have one in there. And I don't want to have to explain it either, really."  
  
"Then perhaps we should set up the guest room at the same time. Two people, two bedrooms, two beds. Simple, no? And no need to explain anything. Come, they will be waiting for us. We can discuss this more later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) _zhan you_, literally, a war friend, or friend made during the war; suggested by one source as a possible translation for a brother-in-arms. The same syllables, with different intonation and completely different kanji, also translate as Duo did. The author pleads guilty to knowing exactly enough Mandarin to be thoroughly dangerous. ;)
> 
> (2) Trust me. The regular-sized picks are not sufficient to keep that much hair(1) _zhan you_, literally, a war friend, or friend made during the war; suggested by one source as a possible translation for a brother-in-arms. The same syllables, with different intonation and completely different kanji, also translate as Duo did. The author pleads guilty to knowing exactly enough Mandarin to be thoroughly dangerous. ;)
> 
> (2) Trust me. The regular-sized picks are not sufficient to keep that much hair under control.
> 
> (3) somehow, I don't think any of the characters ever called each other by the same code names we do - and it figures that Duo would pick one of the solitary heroes of his own ethnicity's mythology!


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> by Bronze Tigress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from Dacia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [A Little Piece of Gundam Wing](https://fanlore.org/wiki/A_Little_Piece_Of_Gundam_Wing), which closed in 2017. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after July 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [a little piece of gundam wing collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/alittlepieceofgundamwing/profile).

_Apr. 10, AC197; noon et. passim_   
_Preventers Headquarters environs_

Lunch is a pleasant event. The news that Duo has joined the Preventers is well received, and both Heero and Quatre confess that they are strongly leaning towards the idea as well. Heero is further convinced by news that the new separate department is a definite fact, and neither seems to mind the fact that they would end up as partners. "Why not? Strategy and tactics are both required; we balance each other there."  
  
They are a little more surprised to hear that Duo and Wufei have agreed to a joint apartment. Wufei smoothly cuts in before Duo has a chance to speak, saying, "Bah, Une-san assigned us as partners because we have the most demolitions experience, and I did not wish to be wondering what had become of him."  
  
Duo startles at that, then grins, and seamlessly picks up the verbal gauntlet. " _You_ want to keep track of _me?_ Oh, that's a good one, Wufei. If anything, _I_ need to keep track of _you!_ Who's the one who was always showing up late for our little parties with the forces of evil, wearing the wrong dress?"  
  
"Oi! Maxwell..." There is a warning in Wufei's tone that is not missed by anyone, and an amused glint in his eye that only Duo bothers to look for. "I am not some woman to wear a dress into battle."  
  
"Please, guys, we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves!"(1)  
  
"Ah, Quatre, Wufei's just _so_ much fun to tease, though..." Duo doesn't look terribly repentant, and he smiles brightly, and then stretches and slouches down into his seat. It is not by accident that his feet land on either side of one of Wufei's, nor that he gives said foot a quick squeeze as he adds, "Isn't he just so cute when he's all flustered?"  
  
"Maxwell!" But Wufei brings his other foot in to return the gesture just the same.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, enough, I know... So, Heero, how's the missy doing? You get her all settled down again last night, or has she still got her feathers in a bunch over what you said?"  
  
Glad for a safe topic, Heero launches into a mission report concerning the dinner and after-dinner conversations of the previous evening. As it turns out, Relena had expressed the opinion to several people that "her Heero" would be there to rescue them all, and she had been quite embarrassed when he had claimed his grief over Sally's "death" at that advanced decibel level. In the end, it had been Quatre who had been able to soothe her, and she had been fairly well recovered this morning, although Heero hadn't seen much of her.  
  
"So, Duo, what about you? Heero's more or less in the good books again, Trowa's gone to settle things with Cathy. How are things with Hilde? Have you called to tell her you're staying yet, or what?"  
  
"Eh, I'm catching a shuttle out to L2 to break up with her. She's a big girl, got her own business and I'm sure she'll be fine without me - for all that I've hardly been there what with all this saving the world we've been doing in the meantime. Who'm I kidding - she needs someone solid, quiet, dependable even. She doesn't need _me_ , that's for sure."  
  
"Duo? What happened? You and Hilde, I mean, I thought you guys were a done deal, picket fence and kids and all?" Quatre looks troubled, genuinely concerned for his friend.  
  
"Nah, Quatre, she's like my saintly twin sister, you know? All the light and bright I put on like a mask every morning in the war? She's like that for real. I... It's like looking in a mirror and seeing what I could have been, _if_ \- and I can't deal with it any more. She's a sweet girl - and she doesn't deserve having to live with what I've made myself into." This time it is Wufei who squeezes Duo's foot first.  
  
"You think she'll stay there on L2 then?" Heero sounds rather curious, and Duo files the information away.  
  
"Who can tell, with her? She was a cadet for OZ before she decided she was going to help us - well, help _me_ , I guess. She might stay there, she might not. I'm going to tell her I'm going to be working here. Who knows, she might decide to follow me here as well." Duo shrugs. "Not like the Preventers couldn't use more people. I guess we'll just have to see."  
  
"Well, she can find her own place to live if she does come chasing after you like a puppy again. I am not putting up with _two_ of you, Maxwell," Wufei grumbles, sounding thoroughly put out, although his face is carefully expressionless. "One of you is all I need..."  
  
"Oh, Wufei," Duo breathes, in a remarkable imitation of a southern belle's drawl, "can't ya sound a little happier when ya say mushy romantic stuff like that ta me, honeyp- _Ow!_ Yeesh..." Duo subsides, pulling a foot into his lap and rubbing at it.  
  
"If you're quite done playing, now?" Wufei's tone implies that Duo really _should_ be done playing now, as he is wandering into dangerous territory. Quatre picks that moment to clear his throat and change the subject to something _other_ than various peoples' love lives. Shortly after that, their lunch party breaks up, since Quatre needs to get back to the palace in time for a conference call.  
  
Once they are back in Wufei's jeep headed back to HQ, Wufei clears his throat. "I am sorry about the ankle, Duo; I did not think I had..."  
  
"'Salright, Wufei - you didn't; it just kinda tickled. No, no; wasn't you. The painkillers are great _except_ if I forget and try to turn my hand over - and I did just that 'cause I was startled. Not your fault, really."  
  
"Ah. I am glad to hear it. I would not like to have carelessly undone my efforts at getting you better, after all."  
  
"Don't think you have to worry about that; I'm causing myself enough troubles. I think that went rather well, though, don't you?"  
  
"The conversation?" Wufei grins. "It was intriguing, sparring like that. I meant that, by the way - if your Hilde does come to Earth after you, I do not intend to offer her a place to stay. You may know her well enough, but I do not - and I have no wish to share the intimate details of my life with someone I barely know."  
  
"And I'm the only one for you, too, huh?" Duo grins at Wufei's startled flush. "'Sokay, Wufei. In case you hadn't realized, I've only been chasing ater you for the last year and change - and I've gotta say, it's been quite a challenge. I mean, I tried to keep tabs on all four of you, but even Heero wasn't so hard to track down as you made yourself. Even _he_ can't change the backup copies of the stuff he's hacked. And Quatre and Trowa were always pretty simple to find. You, however. You I've spent nights agonizing over, wondering where you'd gotten yourself to this time. I don't think you could have done a better job engaging my curiosity if you'd been trying. You weren't, were you?"  
  
Wufei shakes his head minutely, but Duo doesn't seem to have needed the confirmation. "You were always such a puzzle to me, Wufei. And now I'm seeing more little pieces of you, the real you under all that anger and confusion, and I really like the pieces I've seen. Sure, you're all puzzles. Heero was the neatest thing -somebody else just like me, you know, when I thought I was the only one. That boy has some issues, though, that I couldn't begin to help him with. Honestly, Hilde might be good for him, if she comes; best I've been able to do is make sure he didn't wander off into trouble alone. Tro's got some funky shit to deal with too, but again - nothing I can do. I kinda made him a promise, when we were all on Peacemillion together, you see? Quatre's such a sweetheart; it was always so _nice_ to hang out with him. He's gonna be fine, I think, if he can keep on being useful while he finishes sorting out the guilt." Duo trails off then, gazing pensively out the window.  
  
Wufei smiles softly, and they drive in silence for a minute before he asks, "Then you are up to walking about? I had thought to show you around the headquarters building this afternoon."  
  
"I should probably check about getting a shuttle back, first, Wufei. The longer I put off getting back to talk to Hilde the harder it'll be, after all."  
  
"You will at least stay the night, though? It is a long journey, and you do not sleep well on the shuttle."  
  
"And you have no ulterior motives, either, hmm? Alright, I'll see about getting a shuttle back tomorrow morning then. That fine? The sooner I go, the sooner I get back."  
  
Wufei smiles, then. "Of course."  
  
There isn't a shuttle until the following morning, fairly late, in any case - at least not a direct hop. And the only reason _that_ one is going non-stop is because there are some samples being transported on it that wouldn't withstand being poked at by Customs officials on the Moon. Duo arranges to be on it, and then the two set off to tour the rest of the facilities.  
  
+  
  
The afternoon passes quickly, and the pair soon head back to Wufei's quarters to make dinner, and chat idly about the workings of the Preventers HQ building. Duo leans against the fridge or counter, moving just enough to keep out of Wufei's way as he pulls things from their places. He listens avidly as Wufei explains the workings of several of the departments, and outlines a few things he thinks likely to be put into place for the new department. Duo visibly winces at the mention of paperwork, not having ever had much chance to practice his handwriting, but most of it can be filled out through computerized forms or printed and attached, which he finds rather a relief. "Besides, I doubt Une is going to require quite the same level of bureaucracy from us as from the rest of the crew - most of whom were trained as soldiers. Could you rinse these for me?"  
  
"Uh, sure, I can do that. They don't look like they need it, though."  
  
"Perhaps not, but it is usually safer to do so. Has Hilde taught you nothing of the domestic?"  
  
Duo snorts. "How to sort the laundry, dust, vacuum, that sort of thing. For some reason she didn't seem to want me in the kitchen though."  
  
"Well, you are in here now. What say you learn a new use for a knife?"  
  
"I think I'd like that."  
  
"Very well. Stand there and watch, hmm? I doubt you are up to much practicing just yet."  
  
Duo is fascinated by the way the onions actually jump in the pan when Wufei first puts them in to cook, and has to be told more than once to stand clear. Watching Wufei's knife work is a revelation. Watching Wufei at work - just watching him for the pleasure of watching him, not trying to time an action or anything else - is another one.  
  
"All part of the training of a scholar, Duo. It is not only philosophy and literature, but a little bit of a lot of things -music, painting, calligraphy, the medical and martial arts... I do not believe Meilan truly appreciated what she was getting, somehow."(2)  
  
"Shit, _I_ appreciate it, Wufei. I can do a lot of stuff, but most of it just isn't so useful once you're off the streets, you know? Well, maybe some of the bedroom tricks, I guess, but there's not much call for a pickpocket or a cracker in respectable circles..."  
  
"Bedroom tricks? Where would you learn such a thing?"  
  
"I spent four years largely in the company of the street whores, Wufei. Some of what they taught me saved my ass a few times. Literally. I'd rather not talk about it though; not right now."(3)  
  
"Ahaa. Very well then. I will not ask. Come, you should be able to stir this. Slowly, and so that the spoon covers the entire bottom of the pot so it does not stick, with smooth motions so nothing splashes."  
  
"Like this?"  
  
"Mmm. Just so, yes."  
  
+  
  
After dinner, and clearing up, and yet another dose of painkillers - "tomorrow, only _one_ of these every four hours, Duo" - Wufei sets the vidscreen for a news channel and beckons Duo after him to the couch. "Come on, let us see what the world has been doing today," he says, catching Duo's hand, and drawing him down to sit as well. When Wufei has them arranged to his satisfaction, he is wedged into the corner of the couch, and Duo is nestled up against him, head pillowed on Wufei's shoulder, three legs stretched down the couch and one of Wufei's dangling off the front edge. "Comfortable?"  
  
"Very."  
  
+  
  
"Hey, Wufei? Are you _sure_ you're not a pod person and the real Wufei's, oh, floating in space somewhere?"  
  
"Why do you ask such a question, Duo?"  
  
"Oh, 'cause, well... This is _not_ a complaint. This snuggling on the couch thing doesn't seem much like you, though. Or at least, not a whole lot like the angry young warrior who was so obsessed with strength and justice I met a couple of years ago. What's happened to you? I mean, I'm guessing some of it's because we're alone and in private so it's okay, but..."  
  
"That is indeed part of it. There is also the not insignificant matter of your permission. It is also, partly, the fact that I have made a few realizations about peace and justice - and strength - and I no longer need to focus on those. I have worked out a large part of my anger, and made some peace with my past." Wufei shrugs, the movement registering against the back of Duo's head. "Mostly, because I can, and we both want to - yes?" He waits for Duo's affirmative nod before concluding, "and before, I could not. That is all."  
  
"Ah." Duo wriggles just a little, snuggling in just a little closer.  
  
+  
  
"Oi, Duo. Wake up, time to go to bed."  
  
"Do you have any idea how silly that sounds?"  
  
"Ai... Still. Up."(4)  
  
"Okay, okay... Oooh. Okay, no more napping in these pants, ouch..."  
  
"Pajamas or a towel?"  
  
"What?" Duo blinks confusedly at Wufei.  
  
"Never mind, I'll find you some pajamas..."  
  
Duo stares after Wufei's retreating form until he disappears into the bedroom, then mumbles "Towel... towel? Oh! Oh, I get it... yeesh," and shakes his head before following.  
  
+  
  
"I was right, before, Wufei. You, my friend, are strange... Towel, indeed. And thank you, these are nice," Duo says, gesturing towards the loose pants he now wears. The bright blue colour is nearly a match for his eyes, although at the moment it is hard to see that behind the downturned gaze and bangs.  
  
"A little short, though," Wufei remarks, standing back and making a critical appraisal.  
  
"Won't matter," Duo smiles back. "Bed now?"  
  
"Bed now." There is a bit of rustling, as Duo slips beneath the covers. Wufei snaps off the lights, then pads quietly over to the bed, where there is a little more rustling as he, too, slips under the covers, and then says, "Goodnight, Duo." A moment later, there is a warm chest pressed closely up against Wufei's back, and an arm wraps itself firmly around his chest. "Oof! Duo? What are you doing?" Wufei doesn't sound upset, so much as confused, and a little grumpy at being confused.  
  
"My turn to hold you, right? Good night, Wufei; sleep well."  
  
"Ah." //Well, this is different... nice, though... warm...//Wufei wriggles a little, into a more comfortable position, and tries to let himself drift off. //But not working...// He loosens Duo's grasp enough to squirm over onto his back, earning himself a sleepy grumble of protest, before tucking Duo's head onto his chest and wrapping his arms around Duo's shoulders. //Better...//  
  
\+   
  
In the morning, they are still curled around each other like a pair of kittens, legs tangled together and arms around each other. It is the slight tickle of warm breath against his collarbone that wakes Wufei. Once again, he notices how light the room has become, with a small start of surprise. //So, why _am_ I awake? No dreams, no alarm... Huh.// He lets his head fall back onto the pillow and his eyes fall closed again, just enjoying the feeling of Duo's warm, wiry body in his arms, and unable to resist the chance to lightly run his fingers across Duo's back, tracing the lines of ribs and spine and shoulder blade, idly seeking the scar he knows is there.  
  
"Mmmnn. Whatcha doin', W'fei?" Duo's sleepy voice questions, somewhat muffled by the fact that his chin is nestled into the crook of Wufei's shoulder.  
  
"Hmm? Trying to find your scar - the one on your shoulder that I woke up to yesterday. There..."  
  
"Oh. Tha's a real old one... mmm..." and Duo snuggles back in close, hugging Wufei's ribs a little and then relaxing again. "'Znice, W'fei..."  
  
Wufei smiles, and resumes tracing the ridges across Duo's back. //I think I could quite happily do this all day... Although we don't _have_ all day... In fact, we should probably get up... Much as I don't want to...// "Duo? We really do need to get out of bed at some point. I do not think Hilde would be impressed to learn you had delayed your journey to spend the day in bed with me," Wufei says, with a slight chuckle.  
  
"Oi! True," Duo says, all traces of sleepiness melting very quickly out of his voice as he braces his arms over Wufei's chest and begins to push himself up, then winces, having forgotten about his wrist brace and tried to put his weight on it. "Efff... I have _got_ to stop doing that." He turns sideways, then, and pushes up with only his left arm to sit.  
  
Wufei, now that Duo is no longer in his line of sight to the alarm clock, glances over at it. "Ah, no great hurry, Duo. Your shuttle is not until 1030hrs, correct?"  
  
"Mmhmm. But if it's okay with you, I'd really like to wash this hair - which is going to take a while with this wrist all by itself - and it takes a while to dry, too. If I braid it while it's still wet, it'll _stay_ wet and still be damp when I reach L2. Not so good. So, if you need the bathroom, best go..." He tugs at Wufei's shoulder a little awkwardly with his left hand, trying to get him into motion.  
  
"Oh, ho, so that is the way of things this morning? Very well," Wufei grins and gets up then.  
  
Duo enjoys the view of Wufei's retreating back side for as long as it lasts, then pulls the band off his hair and begins unwinding the strands of his braid.  
  
+  
  
It is only forty minutes later that the two are seated at breakfast in the cafe. Duo's hair has been combed out and loosely braided for the occasion, with the promise that it can come down and be allowed to dry properly after they have done eating, but Duo does need to take his medicine on schedule. This morning's breakfast conversation is much less an exercise in soul searching than the previous day's. Instead, Wufei has been retelling the legend of Nataku, as part of explaining why his wife, and subsequently his Gundam, had also borne that name. The legend itself, he spins out with all the skill of a master storyteller, but his conclusion is very brief, and toneless. "Because women were not considered able to become warriors, she declared herself to be Nataku - who was neither male nor female - and no longer a woman. She died protecting that Gundam, and so her spirit dwelt within it." He shrugs, then, and asks if Duo needs more coffee or if he is ready to go.  
  
+  
  
Duo has very little to pack; his tools have already been replaced in his duffle bag, and only the hairbrush remains, pending a final use. Duo decides against replacing most of the paraphernalia in his hair, although the lock pick and torsion bar are left out of the bag to be slipped back in once it has been rebraided. Wufei undoes Duo's loose braid and fans the hair out, running a comb through it as it finishes drying, just for the pleasure of running his hands through it. Duo practically radiates a contented purring.  
  
All too soon, however, it is time for the pair to find their official jackets and head for the shuttle dock. Duo arrives in plenty of time to board, although, he notes, it will be weird to not be piloting. He introduces himself to the Agent in the cockpit as a new recruit with a lot of piloting under his belt, just in case, and the fact that Wufei, behind him, nods solemnly in agreement is duly noted by said Agent.  
  
Wufei hefts Duo's bag down to a storage locker in the small seating area, and then produces a book of Chinese legends from an inside pocket of his jacket. "It's a fairly good translation, although many of the puns and inferences are of necessity left out. Still - it is a long trip back to L2, and you probably do not want to spend all of it worrying about what to tell her."  
  
"Thanks, Wufei! Wow..." Duo grins brightly, and very nearly hugs Wufei, but stops himself in time, clasping one of Wufei's hands instead.  
  
"Go on, get yourself seated. You will be taking off soon, and I must disembark before that happens. I do not think Une will be terribly impressed if I am a day late for work because I ran away to L2 with you," he smirks, then gives Duo a rather deep bow, and turns to go, leaving Duo to chuckle as he wedges his way into one of the window seats and straps in for the ride, book clutched in careful fingers. He is already engrossed in the first legend by the time the shuttle taxis for takeoff five minutes later.  
  
Wufei, left alone on the tarmac, stares after the rapidly-dwindling shuttle until it disappears, before turning to go inside.  
  
~Owari~  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) References suggest that a Chinese Scholar was expected to be the equivalent of a Renaissance Man - skilled in a broad area of subjects, and reasonably competent in all of them. Since food, medicine, philosophy, and the martial arts are all interrelated, the Scholar was expected to master all of these branches of knowledge, as well as music, calligraphy, visual arts, and so forth. There are references to the Scholar's preferred musical instrument and preferred sword (which, oddly enough, is not the heavy, curved, single-edged _niu wei dao_ Wufei is shown to use, but a straight double-edged _jian_ that has more in common with Treize's rapier than anything else), and even to the use of a scholar's writing brushes as potential weapons, with a distinct art form all their own. Wufei is quite a catch, no?
> 
> (2) The author speculates, based on the usual fate of 10- and 12-yr-old street children and the probability that life was better in a slum the size of a Colony.
> 
> (3) No, it's not the same 'ai'; it's just an affirmative.


End file.
